Former Aggie cornerback Will Davis is prepping for NFL Draft

Toledo Rockets quarterback Terrance Owens (2) tries to elude Utah State Aggies cornerback Will Davis (17) as Utah State University defeatsToledo 41-15 as they play football in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012,in Boise, Idaho.

Tom Smart, Deseret News

Summary

The 2013 NFL draft is still more than a month away, but as far as former Utah State cornerback Will Davis is concerned, his pro career has already begun.

The 2013 NFL Draft is still more than a month away, but as far as former Utah State cornerback Will Davis is concerned, his pro career has already begun.

“I’m training like my rookie season has already started,” Davis said.

It’s been a whirlwind couple of months for Davis after winning the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in December. Davis showed off his skills in the 2013 senior bowl in January, coming up with an interception for the North team.

The cornerback spent February training at Athletes Performance in Tempe, Ariz., preparing for the all-important NFL Combine last week. At the combine in Indianapolis, Davis performed well. His 4.51 in the 40-yard dash showed his straight line speed, and his 16 reps of the 225-pound bench press displayed his strength, but it was his agility and acceleration that most impressed. In the three-cone drill, Davis blew away the competition with a 6.52 time, almost two-tenths of a second better than the next cornerback.

Davis has been told he could go in the second or third rounds, but he is hoping his combine performance will elevate him solidly into the second round.

In addition to the drills on the field, NFL teams also use the combine as an opportunity to get to know the players off the field. Davis met with eight teams for interviews, among them the Bears, Dolphins, Broncos and Cowboys.

“That was crazy,” Davis said about the interview session. “I had all eight back-to-back-to-back, 15 minutes each. You go in and meet with the team and the coaches. Some wanted to get to know me as a person, others wanted to know if I understood the defensive schemes we ran at Utah State. There was a lot of late nights and early mornings.”

Davis knows, however, that even though he didn't meet with every team during the combine, that any team could end up drafting him.

“Sometimes a team takes a player and they never talked to him during the whole process,” said Davis.

While being drafted by any NFL team would be a special accomplishment for anyone who played just a single year of high school football, being taken by the team you grew up rooting for would be even better. As a Spokane, Wash., native, Davis grew up rooting for Seattle and would love to play at home again in the Northwest. As an added bonus, the Seahawks also employ former Aggie linebacker Bobby Wagner and running back Robert Turbin.

Davis, along with running back Kerwynn Williams and a host of other Aggie pro-prospects, will get a chance to impress scouts again at Utah State’s pro day on Thursday, March 7. The NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 25.

Kraig Williams is a 2010 Utah State University graduate and regular Deseret News sports blogger. He can be followed on Twitter at DesNewsKraig.